Making Local Governments Work for the People and Places They Serve

Slum Dwellers Associations (SDAs) are citizen collectives comprising members chosen by and from slum communities to represent their needs, priorities, and concerns in urban governance. Legally recognised as the fourth tier of governance, SDAs function as implementation partners with Urban Local Governments, managing community assets and overseeing developmental works. 

Working with the Government of Odisha’s Jaga Mission, Janaagraha institutionalised SDAs and launched a statewide capacity-building programme. Master trainers were trained across 30 districts, cascading training to over 9,000 SDA members who gained skills to govern their communities and work with civic authorities. Approximately 3,000 SDAs now operate across Odisha with real budgetary power, transforming excluded communities into empowered stakeholders in their own development.

Ward Samiti Balagas are citizen collectives creating public demand for the institutionalisation of ward committees. Conceptualised, incubated, and piloted by Janaagraha, Balaga chapters now have over 5,000 members in 11 city corporations across Karnataka.

Balaga members coordinate letter campaigns through elected representatives, submit requisition letters to municipal corporations, and organise public outreach to build awareness and demand for functional ward committees.

Over time, the Balagas have evolved into an independent citizen movement sustaining public demand for institutionalised participation at the local level. 

The Civic and Social Action Programme (CSAP) combines classroom education with experiential learning to build civic consciousness among students. Currently operational in 50 government schools in Kurukshetra, CSAP has equipped over 100 schoolteachers through a Train-the-Trainer model designed to be replicable across government school systems.

Through CSAP, students engage in live-action projects on local issues, participate in community sessions, and present their solutions to local government officials.

By embedding experiential learning and democratic practice in schools, CSAP equips young citizens with the civic capabilities required for sustained and informed democratic engagement.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India conducted first-of-its-kind performance audits assessing the implementation of the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA) across 18 states and 393 Urban Local Governments during 2019-2024. Janaagraha supported the design, pilot, and scaling of this audit process, and synthesised findings into a compendium released in November 2024.

The findings reveal that only 4 of 18 constitutionally mandated functions are effectively devolved, 1,600 ULGs lack elected councils, and significant resource and capacity constraints persist. 

These audits provide the accountability mechanism required for reform, holding states accountable to constitutional mandates while equipping policymakers with the data needed to strengthen devolution and empower urban local governments.

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